My fan girl heart is squeeing at this announcement! Will Yun Lee, aka Sang Min, is continuing his run on cable tv in kick ass roles. Fresh off his appearance in HBO’s True Blood, Yee has been cast as a villain in Cinemax’s special ops action series Strike Back. The details of his role are being kept under wraps but fans can be assured that his role will include lots of action.

Did you know Lee was also name one People’s Sexiest Men Alive in 2013?

Strike Back follows a team of British special operations soldiers who undertake high risk missions around the world. It will air on Cinemax sometime in 2015.

The wave of excitement for the new season of Hawaii Five-0 hadn’t lost any energy over the summer as thousands packed Waikiki Beach for a glimpse of the stars and a preview of the season 5 premiere. The crowd cheered the stars as they made their way down the red carpet in advance of watching the episode a full two weeks ahead of the rest of the country. Once again, I was fortunate enough to cover the event for the Hawaii Five-0 Undercover blog, and went toe to toe with the actors to ask the about the upcoming season.

Excitement was high amongst the cast and crew. They were in the middle of filming their 100th episode, a huge milestone for any show.

So Peter, Alex, you’re filming your hundredth episode. Are you ready for a hundred more?Alex K: ABSOLUTELY!Peter: Maybe he is!Alex K: It’s the greatest thing ever, we’re so grateful for the fans and Hawaii, and I’m grateful to Peter, ’cause he’s been killing it for 100 episodes.Peter: You know how hard we work, we’re so passionate about this, it’s a big deal for us to get to a 100 episodes. Just the fact that people followed us and started watching the show again knowing the original lasted for 12 years…just look at this, it’s humbling.

You’ve done the “pick the culprit” episode, the fan written episode, and cross overs, how are you going to keep it fresh this year?Peter: We have one that connects to the original Five-0 that’s going to blow everyone away, we can’t tell you more, but it’s going to be spectacular!Amy Bakari: Is it like the “Hookman” episode?Peter: ”Hookman” is old news for us, this is going to be bigger!

One of the many ways that Lenkov, Kurtzman, and the writers keep Five-0 rooted in Hawaiian lifestyle and culture is the prominence of locals in the shows. Whether a guest role or recurring regular, Hawaii has no shortage of talent. I spoke to a few of them, all of whom were thankful of the opportunity of being part of something as big as Five-0.

Shawn Garnett plays “Flippa”, Kamekona’s cousin. Shawn is a fan favorite, since he frequently responds to them on twitter. ”That’s the biggest thing for me,” Shawn told me. ”The twitter followers, they come to check me out at the show!” Shawn is a talented musician, already out with an EP on itunes, and performs regularly at MonkeyPod Kitchen at Ko’olina.

Another local entertainment veteran, Al Harrington (“Mamo”) was there on the red carpet. Every time Mamo comes back, he introduces a gem of knowledge of Hawaiian culture. I asked Al what can we expect from the one episode he’s filmed so far for the season.

Al: We’re going to talk about the development of the waves, and how we learn to surf them, and how the kids learn to surf them. I had this time to work a scene with Grace Park. What a joy it was to work with her. I think she surfs her own scenes! (Editors note: Grace does not surf.)

Filming the hundredth episode saw the return of some familiar faces from the past. Character actor William Sadler who plays John McGarrett, was in town to film the episode. Peter referred to him as the “hardest working dead guy” in Hawaii.

Veteran actor William Sadler portrays John McGarrett,

So you’re here filming the 100th episode?Bill: Yes! Papa John’s back in the house!

You’re in the first episode and the 100th episode, you see all the fans here, how does that make you feel? Bill: I never get jaded… you start to get jaded, but then you look at these faces [in the crowd] …they’re not jaded. This is a big deal for them.

Are there any McGarrett family secrets that you can divulge?Bill: For someone who’s dead, I come back an awful lot…like a bad penny. I’m very well preserved! I had a fun time filming this episode. I got to work with a lot of children….and that’s all I can tell you!

Working on the hundredth episode certainly wasn’t lost on local veteran actor Dennis Chun, who plays Duke Lukela.What’s new Dennis?Dennis: Just trying to be Duke and trying to keep Hawaii safe.

This is the 100th episode you’re currently filming, how big is it for you?We had a very special evening last night with. We discussed how fortunate we were that twice, Hawaii Five-0 hit one hundred episodes. and that there’s a magic in the franchise, with Leonard Freeman as the creator, that is carried on by the people today. I think about Dad [Kam Fong Chun on the original Five-0] and how hard he worked, and here we are again!

Local actor Dennis Chun

How long was your father in?Dennis: The first 10 seasons.

Well, you’re catching up!Dennis: I got a loooong way to go!

Although this is my fourth year covering the event, this was actually the first time that I got to speak to the beautiful, and talented Grace Park. Little did I know that she has a great sense of humor! With Hawaii Five-0 losing Michelle Borth as a regular, the amount of femme-fighting-power significantly decreased. I asked Grace what she thought about women not having any staying power on the show.

Grace: I know! How do we keep them on the show, that’s what I’m trying to do!! It’s not like we plan on it. We always want to have more women! When we knew we were going to add one more to the main four, we could go man or woman, and we wanted a woman.

She went on to say that there were a slew of factors that determine who stays and who goes – including the writing, the network, and fan response.

Grace: [when a new actor/actress comes on board] they do their best, they’re always lovely, and we love them, [but] there are so many things that are out of your control. So I started to think, are we going to try [to bring another female] anymore , or are we gun-shy? But we definitely want to make sure we have some women on the show.

Grace Park at Sunset on the Beach

Grace’s character Kono, may have finally found true love, albeit with Adam Noshimuri, heir apparent of a notorious Yakuza crime family, played by Ian Anthony Dale. Kono’s cousin Chin hasn’t had any luck in love. Will Kono and Adam fare better?

Ian: You’ll get to see a little sneak peek tonight. At the middle of season 4, Kono finds Adam and brings him home and things seem happily ever after. This season starts out the same, but Adam’s past, its a very dark past, he’s got some bad history. I think it’s gonna creep up on him. This show’s about drama, and we can’t have drama without conflict, I imagine.

In the fourth season of Hawaii Five-0 Jorge Garcia (“Lost”) was cast as conspiracy theorist Jerry Ortega. Garcia fit in so well with the cast, and was so popular with the fans that he’s been brought back in season 5 to reprise his role.

Jorge Garcia (‘Lost’) plays Jerry Ortega on Five-0

So the Island isn’t done with you after all?
Jorge: Every time I’ve come back as a guest on the show I had this feeling like I was coming home, so now it’s so nice to be a part and settle in with everybody.

Do you feel like kama’aina [local] by now?Totally. I still have my old IDs, so I’m gonna start working on getting my kama’aina discounts!

With Hawaii Five-0 being in Hawaii and Lost being on a tropical island, do you have a hard time shaking the Hurley vibe or have you hit your stride with Jerry?Well Jerry’s got a little bit of Hurley in him I guess, but in a way that Hurley has a bit of me in him. But Jerry’s definitely got his own little thing going and what he gets really into, and he gets excited about is kind of another side of me.

Jorge added at the end that although it wasn’t up to him, he’d love to see more “Lost” cast members reunited on Five-0. I have a feeling the viewers agree!

Alex O’Loughlin was the last to walk down the red carpet, and it was hard to be heard over the screaming women around me. (They may have been shouting my name, but I can’t be certain.) O’Loughlin has to be one of the hardest working guys in Hawaii – sometimes filming six straight days, attending charity functions (such as the recent Hawaii ALS walk) on weekends, plus his roles as father and husband.

Alex O’Loughlin – Sunset on the Beach 2014

Alex, how do you manage your work life balance with everything you’ve got going?Alex: It’s very difficult playing the lead in a huge show and having any sort of life, because when you sign that contract you forfeit any sort of life. It’s very difficult, and that’s my greatest battle, to maintain balance, but my children and my wife are my priority at all times. Its hard man, to have both, but I’m grateful we’ve been able to sort it out and make it to 100!

Before Alex walked on, I let him know that the “H50 ALS Warrirors” helped to raise $4400 on behalf of HawaiiFive-0 fans worldwide. He smiled broadly and said, “That makes me very happy, man. Send them my Aloha.”

After the red carpet was rolled up, the Peter andAlex K acknowledged the writers, directors and crew of the show, who works hard making each episode happen. Daniel Dae Kim took the microphone for a few minutes to explain the statistics of how rare it is for a show to reach 100 episodes. Last, Alex thanked the locals for allowing Five-0 to use their houses and neighborhoods for the show.

The lights finally went dim and the show started. All I can say is that everyone will be happy with the episode, laughs police chases and a spectacular end sequences that’ll make you look at Waikiki in a different way.

Well Hawaii Five-0, congrats on making 100 episodes, here’s to 100 more!

Alex O’Loughlin at Sunset on the Beach Season 3 – Photo: Norman Shapiro/CBS

It will be a double your pleasure celebration on Waikiki Beach this weekend. Sunset on the Beach has become an annual tradition to launch the season premiere of Hawaii Five-0. This year, the cast and crew will also be celebrating the 100th episode – an impressive milestone for any show. For the first time since Season 2, Alex O’Loughlin, Scott Caan, Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park are all expected to be walking the red carpet! They will be joined by executive producers Peter Lenkov, Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orci as well as fellow cast mates Chi McBride, Jorge Garcia, Dennis Chun, Shawn Garnett, Teilor Grubbs, Al Harrington and William Sadler.

7:00pm – Premiere Screening - Lucky attendees will get a the first look at the season 5 premiere – a whole two weeks before it airs on CBS!

Immediately following the Premiere – A live stage performance by Bush.

(You can use this time conversion toolto determine when the festivities begin in your local timezone)

Online Streaming

For those not lucky enough to be able to attend in person, you can stream coverage of the Red Carpet courtesy of Honolulu Star Advertiser. We will provide a link when one becomes available. Note – the streaming will not be behind the Star Advertiser paywall – it will be provided for free.

Even at a young age, Scott Caan knew he would pursue his creative side. “I really, really, really, really, really did not like going to school, and I didn’t want to do anything that further schooling could lead me to. The idea of graduating and going to college – there wasn’t a future there for me. So, when I was 13, when I was in 9th grade, even 8th grade, I was sort of subconsciously getting my creative mind working,” Caan told The Hundreds during a recent interview.

He started writing rhymes (he avoids saying it was poetry) and mixing them with music from his mom’s karaoke machine. Being a B-boy was his obsession. “Graffiti, breakdancing, I liked everything to do with it,” he said.

It was his pursuit of rap music that eventually lead him to acting. A director saw him on tour with House of Pain and asked him to read for a part. Caan was reluctant at first but reconsidered when he read the script. He eventually got the part. “I pretty much from that point on left music. I felt like with music – I can say this now – I always felt, not that I was fronting, but I was always trying to do something that maybe wasn’t 100% natural for me.” From there, the young rapper joined Playhouse West as an actor and writer. He still returns there as his schedule allows.

When asked about his new book of photography titled Vanity, Caan says, “A lot of these photos [from Vanity] are from a road trip. I drove across country and did a big triple W, and would stop somewhere for only two days and would just shoot what I saw and mess around. And I think in my photographs you can see that it is scattered, it is all over the place.”

Read more on why Caan chose to title his book Vanity and why he loves photography in the full The Hundreds article.

We’re in the homestretch for accepting donations for the Walk to Defeat ALS taking place in Honolulu this coming weekend! After years of relative obscurity the disease (also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease) has recently been thrust into the spotlight after an extremely successful campaign, The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, caught on like wildfire. And although some have criticized the overtly public way people are making their donations known, I say, if it works, who cares? If celebrities weren’t making videos of themselves taking the challenge, frankly most of us would never have heard of this campaign and this very worthy charity wouldn’t be breaking previous fund raising records.

But if you don’t care to dump a bucket of ice water on yourself and are still interested in donating, we’ve got an extremely easy way for you to do so. And if you enjoy watching CBS’ Hawaii Five-0, all the better. Fans of the Five-0 star Alex O’Loughlin know that he’s been involved in charitable work since his first American television show, Moonlight was on the air, so his jumping in to help the ALS Ohana is no suprise, but this time the cause is a bit more personal.

To find out more about ALS and what Hawaii Five-0 and Alex O’Loughlin’s connection to it is, please read our previous blogs (one is below) and if you haven’t already donated, we ask that you give anything you can to help the people stricken by this deadly disease. Just click on this link, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click “Donate Now” next to one of the existing team members. Even donations of $10 will add up!

Fans of Hawaii Five-0 and Alex O’Loughlin have been raising money under the name of H50 ALS Warriors and as of this writing we’ve reached a total of $3645.00! That’s an impressive sum, but maybe, just maybe we can reach even a little higher in the final days.

If you’re concerned about the use of your dollars, we can tell you is that the ALS Golden West Chapter has received outstanding ratings from the charity rating groups, meaning more of your money actually reaches the people in need with less going to running the organization compared with other charities. With that said, if you have already pitched in, we hope you do so now!

Mahalo nui!

August 11, 2014

In less than one month, the Golden West chapter of the ALS Association will hold its “Hawaii Walk” in Honolulu. If you read our previous blog about the fund-raiser, you know that Hawaii Five-0 star Alex O’Loughlin has a personal connection to the disease. The mother of his wife, Malia, died in 2011 after a long, debilitating struggle with ALS, and I found that just reading of her experiences was an extremely emotional undertaking. Violet Jones-Medusky, known as “Vi,” was a woman who lived her life to the fullest until stricken down by the disease, and now O’Loughlin and the Jones family are raising funds to help others who find themselves in the same predicament.

Because I wanted to use Vi’s own words to touch people and inspire them want to take up this cause, I reached out to Vi’s son Daniel Jones (a professional surfer,) and his wife, Natalie to get their permission. Both of them were thrilled to have Hawaii Five-0 fans join the fight against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Natalie was one of the primary care-givers throughout Jones-Medusky’s journey and helped her write the blog that touched me and others so much. Even though Violet is no longer here, Natalie continues the fight as one of the directors of ALS Ohana, an organization committed to helping those suffering with the deadly affliction. Other than Vi’s own valiant spirit, what impressed me most was the amazing support system she had in her friends and family. Not everyone is as fortunate in that respect.

One of Vi’s more poignant blog posts was in June of 2010, less than a year before she passed away. She talks of being with her husband Jan when receiving the diagnosis, and then having to tell her children. Even reading it now, makes my heart ache.

After hearing the sad news, both Jan and I cried and cried for awhile. Jan put together a nice binder of information about ALS for each of our 3 children. I met with Daniel in person on Mother’s Day at Magic Island over looking our favorite surf spot Ala Moana Bowls. This was one of the saddest thing I’ve had to do. We cried and cried together with hardly any spoken words. There was no need for words. Jan called the other two children who lived abroad telling them the sad news and sending them a copy of the binder of ALS materials.I spoke to each child to see how they were doing emotionally.(As a mom and nurse, I wanted to make sure they were understanding what this disease was about and how it would affect their/our lives. Jan and I made a Ben Franklin Truth chart of all the things we wanted to do and what I wanted to do before the big HURRAH. The first 3 years, I continued to work on an on-call bases and traveled with the kids thru Europe on the surf tour and meeting up with Jan to spend time and travel witb him. I spent 18 months studying for my Masters in nursing with my nursing friends which we all finished in flying colors. The last 5 years we have spent many months in Bali near our son Mikala, watching our grandchild grow and surfing. (Jan’s favorite place to surf). I continued to swim and surf until I no longer could. The passion of running turned into walking, then with a cane and then with a walker and finally a wheel chair pushed by my friends. (We did the Haleakala Run to the Sun Race the last 5 years as a relay). The list goes on and we’ve checked them off. Family is the top of my list.

As I mentioned in the previous blog, because fewer people are afflicted with this illness (also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease,) than with cancer, heart disease, or diabetes, pharmaceutical companies don’t channel as much money into finding a cure, and there aren’t as many local resources for ALS patients to turn to. That means that fund-raising efforts are exceedingly important in assisting patients.

If you have some serious cash to donate, you can bid on a wonderful package being auctioned off by ALS Ohana that includes a luxury hotel stay, VIP access to the Hawaii Five-0 Season 5 premiere at Sunset On the Beach, plus and an opportunity to meet the man behind Steve McGarrett, Alex O’Loughlin.

50undercover.com and the other fan sites involved in this campaign can’t offer an opportunity like that. All we can promise is the gratitude of the O’Loughlin and Jones’ families, as well as those of the Hawaii residents who are doing their best to hold off the ravages of ALS.

If reading Vi’s narrative made you grateful for the blessings in your life, we invite you to join the H50 ALS Warriors. If you want to raise funds, you can become a “virtual walker” by clicking the “Join Team” button near the bottom of the page. If you’d simply like to give money, click on “Donate Now” next to one of the existing team member’s names. Even a small donation is welcome but if you just can’t afford anything, please share the link with others who might be able to help. Team captain Eric Uyeda is a long-time Hawaii Five-0 employee who is the most charitable person I know, doing charity walks throughout the year. I can’t speak for other Five-0 fans, but I’d like to thank Eric for being our on boots on the ground representative in the Walk to defeat ALS on September 6th.

If you’ve been following this story you know that Undercover Agent Zoe will have a chance to visit the set of CBS’ Hawaii Five-0 this September! Not just content to enjoy the experience for herself, Zoe wanted to include others by collecting fan offerings for Alex O’Loughlin, Daniel Dae Kim, Grace Park, Scott Caan et al, to compile in a book which will be presented to the cast when she arrives in Hawaii.

If you haven’t already sent your submission, we’re afraid it’s too late to do so now. Zoe is providing us with an “in the final stretch” update below. Any questions you have, may be sent to her at H50fanbook@gmx.com.

We can’t wait to see the final product!

Photo: CBS

From Undercover Agent Zoe

Final update for you…

Thank you everyone who has put their time into this – in the last 48 hours alone I had around 60 new submissions. I have tried my best to respond to everyone so you know I have received your entries. I’m in to the 100s now for separate entries so there is a chance some may have slipped through my reply list.

I will be editing the book towards the end of this week before sending it off to get printed. When I return from Hawaii (after 25th September) I will make the book available for download – the reason I am waiting until after the trip is so the cast and crew do not see the final book online beforehand.

I have also had a number of people approach me to ask whether they are able to purchase a hard copy of the book. I am looking into the best way of doing this and will email everyone who has participated once a solution is decided on.

I’d also like to say a BIG THANK YOU to Terry and Jason because without their support this would not have been possible. Mahalo Guys!!

Steve (Alex O’Loughlin) catches up with Aunt Deb McGarrett (Carol Burnett) before his Thanksgiving plans take a turn into the typical Five-0 danger zone.(Photo courtesy of Norman Shapiro/CBS)

One of my favourite guest stars from Season 4 is coming back and she’s not alone! Carol Burnett will be returning as McGarrett’s Aunt Deb. You may remember the touching scene where she announced to him that she was to undergo cancer treatment. While receiving chemo, she will meet a man to be played by the legendary Jersey Boy, Franky Valli. The two have a whirlwind romance which will result in her wedding in Hawaii. Sadly, it doesn’t sound like her cancer treatment will be success. “They’re going to have this whirlwind romance, and they’re coming to Hawaii to get married because they realize both of them don’t have much time left,” Peter Lenkov told TV Guide. Be prepared to have your heart strings pulled.

Photographer: Ross D. Hamamura – RDHphoto.net RDHphoto

Alex O’Loughlin once again used his star-power for good. On August 16, he attended the Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii’s annual Walk in the Country event. In typical Alex style, he gracious posed with lucky fans at the fundraising luau. You can see more photos from Honolulu Magazine on our Facebook page!

Upon completing the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge this past weekend, executive producer Peter Lenkov threw down the gauntlet to his cast. And in true Five-0 fashion, stars Alex O’Loughlin, Daniel Dae Kim, and Jorge Garcia came through for fans, and for the charity. The Ice Bucket Challenge has taken the internet by storm as a fundraiser and awareness generator to help combat ALS, otherwise known as Lou Gerig’s disease. People are dared to dump ice water on their heads as well as donate money to this great cause. So far, the campaign has raised $4 million in two weeks! Visit http://www.alsa.org to donate.

Note: After gamely dumping the freezing slush on themselves, the three actors chose to call out just one person; CBS President and CEO, Les Moonves. We’re happy to report that Moonves took the challenge not long after, and we’re hoping made a hefty donation to the extremely worthy cause.

If you want to do anything for the book please please please email them in now! I have tons of stuff for Alex, but I know there are lots of Daniel Dae Kim, Grace and Scott fans out there (plus others!!!)

It doesn’t have to be fancy or an essay – just a simple thank you plus a picture of your favorite character or scene will be just as perfect.

Email only please, guys – I can’t track entries on Twitter or in the comments on the website.

Thank you to everyone who has already taken the time to submit something to the fanbook. I have now responded to everyone whose email I have received. If you haven’t had a response then it means I haven’t received the email so please let us know if you think I have missed you!

We still need everyone’s input to make this a rounded experience for all of the cast and crew. I would also really like to hear from local fans in Hawaii as well – especially if you have been part of any of the events that the 5-0 team have done (such as the fan breakfast, charity events etc) please please get in touch!

If there are any artists out there that have done drawings of the cast I would really like to be able to include these in the book – with permission, of course.

Fansites – I would like to include pages for you as well, as you are the fans sources of information – please get in touch with anything you would like to include.

Friend of the blog, Undercover Agent Zoe approached us a few weeks ago with a brilliant idea. She told us she’d be on the set of Hawaii Five-0 to watch filming in September, and mentioned that she wished she could share the experience with everyone. She came up with an idea that allows fans to leave a thankful and lasting impression on the cast and crew of our favorite show. I’ll let Zoe explain it all in her own words!

Please note, Zoe is handling ALL communications, not 50undercover.com. For all questions and submissions, contact her at the email address below.

Now, have fun!!

Calling all H50 fans!

Many of you know that earlier in the year that CharityBuzz was auctioning off Hawaii Five-0 set visits to a few lucky winners. My wonderful husband bid and won one of these, so we are heading back to Hawaii to pop on to set! I feel incredibly fortunate, as I know so many fans would simply love the same opportunity. This got me to thinking of how to share the experience with fans worldwide.

I thought it might be a nice opportunity for us fans to give something back to the cast and crew, so I thought of creating a Worldwide Fanbook that I can give to the cast and crew when the visit occurs. The premise behind the book is the celebration of 100 completed episodes. This should be a positive experience, and a show of appreciation. Focus on what you DO like about the show and showing your appreciation for that. I will have the final edit on what is included in the printed book. I want to make this clear from the outset that anything inappropriate will not be included. This is not the avenue to declare your dislike of a character, nor is it a suggestion box for your take on where the storyline should go (to cite a few examples).

Executive Producer, Peter Lenkov, clarified the reports that McGarrett will be getting a new love interest in Season 5. Lenkov told TVLine,“Everybody’s selling it as a love interest, but really it’s a friendship.” Friends with benefits, perhaps? He also provided more details about the 100th episode, saying “There really will be no more questions, as to, ‘Are [Steve and Wo fat] related?’ and ‘What is Wo Fat’s relationship with Steve’s mother?’ … That’s all going to come to a head and be resolved.”

Bush from their official website

Mike Gordon of the Star Advertiser announced some big entertainment news for this year’s SOTB. Those attending the Season 5 premiere at Sunset On the Beach are in for quite a treat! The post-grunge rock band, Bush, will be entertaining the beach goers live on stage! I saw them in concert in my *ahem* younger years, and you’re in for a loud, rockin’ time!

Mike also noted that all of the main cast members will be attending the premiere, making it the first time since Season 2 that Scott Caan and Grace Park appear. No doubt the fans who line the red carpet will show their enthusiasm to the shows stars .

Daniel Dae Kim was honoured by the OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates this week along with actress Ming-Na Wen (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.). Both received the Pioneer Award OCA is “dedicated to advancing the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans.” (from their website)

DDK posing for a selfie with Tony WallerPosted by @1solesearcher on Instagram